Polish satirist and Kabaret Elita co-creator Stanisław Szelc dies at 83

Theatre beginnings in Wrocław

Polish satirist, actor, and broadcaster Stanisław Szelc died at the age of 83 on 21 September 2026, Radio Wrocław announced. Born on 2 January 1943 in Prokhladnoye in the former Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, Szelc moved with his family to Lower Silesia following the Second World War. He studied Polish philology in Wrocław and passed his external acting examination before an evaluation panel that included Professor Aleksander Bardini. Szelc began his theatrical career during his university studies, joining the Student Theatre Kalambur in 1961. Between 1961 and 1976, he worked with the Kalambur ensemble as an actor, stage director, and literary director, establishing his position within the local artistic scene.

Radio satire and Kabaret Elita

In the late 1970s, poet and satirist Andrzej Waligórski invited Szelc to join the team at Studio 202, an entertainment and satire workshop at Radio Wrocław. Szelc became a core member of Kabaret Elita, appearing regularly alongside cast members including Ewa Szumańska, Jan Kaczmarek, Leszek Niedzielski, Włodzimierz Plaskota, Jerzy Skoczylas, and Jerzy Dębski. The broadcasts gained broad national recognition across Poland, frequently airing on Polish Radio Channel 3. Szelc later reflected on his initial entry into the radio ensemble.

Sometime towards the end of the 1970s, the Great Andrzej Waligórski, whom I had known and admired earlier, offered me a job at Wrocław's Studio 202. It was and is a top national league team: Ewa Szumańska, Jurek "Dziamdziak" Dębski, Janek Kaczmarek, Leszek Niedzielski, Włodek Plaskota and Jurek Skoczylas welcomed me as one of their own and never let me know what they really thought of me.

Szelc became known for his distinctive deep voice in radio dramas. He succeeded Jan Kaczmarek opposite Ewa Szumańska in the long-running radio play "Z pamiętnika młodej lekarki" and took over the role of Onufry Zagłoba in "Rycerze" following the death of Andrzej Waligórski, whose poetic works he also performed. Szelc authored the popular radio sketch series "Chłop i baba", creating characters that transitioned from audio broadcasts into broader popular culture.

Screen roles and public honours

Beyond radio, Szelc developed a television and cinematic profile. He adapted his "Chłop i baba" sketches into a television series for TVP2, in which he starred as the character Stanisław Pętoś. Szelc also worked as a television presenter, hosting the game show "Telepeerele" on TVP2 and the series "Ludzie listy piszą" on TVP Polonia. His acting credits spanned appearances in television series such as "Świat według Kiepskich", "Licencja na wychowanie", "Pierwsza miłość", and "Lombard. Życie pod zastaw". On the cinema screen, director Wojciech Smarzowski cast him in the feature films "Pod Mocnym Aniołem" and "Kler", where his physical appearance frequently led directors to cast him in priest roles.

Poland's cultural administration and the city of Wrocław recognized Szelc for his decades of creative work. In 2009, he received the Silver Medal for Merit to Culture Gloria Artis from the Ministry of Culture. The municipal government awarded him the Silver Badge of Honour of Wrocław in 2019, followed by the Gold Badge of Honour of Wrocław in 2023. Following the announcement of his death, the municipal authorities reflected on his cultural impact.

A person who co-created the cultural landscape of our city for decades has departed. What remains are memories, recordings, and sketches that still bring a smile despite the passage of years.